UNLV student cooks veal in national culinary competition
Las Vegan singing on Internet for a chance at $25,000 prize
Louis Fiorentino Jr., a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, recently was named Mountain Regional winner of the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition and went on to compete in the national contest in late October at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif.
Fiorentino was one of 10 other regional winners from competitions throughout the United States and Canada.
Advertisement
"Having the opportunity to travel to Napa Valley and compete against other culinary students is very exciting and I am so honored to have the chance to gain such invaluable culinary skills because of it," Fiorentino said.
Ranbir Batra from Kendall College in Chicago was the overall winner.
Fiorentino competed with his recipe for veal tenderloin with prosciutto wrapped in Feuilles de Bric and served with Sicilian pistachio orzo pasta and ragu of summer squash glazed with sage beurre blanc.
The winner received $10,000 and one-year employment with a nationally recognized chef and restaurant.
IN OTHER NEWS
• Lisa Marinacci of Las Vegas recently was named one of 10 semifinalists in the Snickers "Satisfaction Sing-Off" competition. The winner, who will be announced Nov. 8 in Los Angeles, will receive $25,000.
Marinacci's video entry was selected based on her "original and creative integration of Snickers four satisfying ingredients -- peanuts, chocolate, caramel and nougat -- in the song, as well as overall musical talent, originality and performance. The artistic use of puppetry in Marinacci's video submission was inspired by entertainment visionary and late Muppet creator, Jim Henson," Snickers officials said.
• Radio industry publication Radio and Records recently gave active rock station KOMP-FM 92.3 an Industry Achievement Award. The station also was named Active Rock Station of the Year 2006 in markets 26 through 100 (Las Vegas is ranked at 32).
KOMP is the first radio station in Las Vegas to be honored with the active rock award, which was presented to the station at the Radio and Records Convention in Dallas.
• The 60th annual Sweet Adelines International Convention and Competition was in mid-October at the Thomas & Mack Center.
More than 10,000 people came in to Las Vegas to attend the six-day event won by Salt, a quartet from Sweden, followed by the RichTones from Houston and the Melodeers from Chicago.
The Celebrity City Chorus of Las Vegas also participated in the event.
If you know of a worthy candidate for this column, mail information to Newsmakers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070, or send faxes to 383-4676.
